Youth Ministry Flourishes During Pandemic

A huge part of Mass is about building community. Longtime Director of Youth Ministry Christie Powell truly believes that, having fostered community with hundreds of teens for more than 30 years.

“This is my life,” she says. “It’s my passion.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced school and church closures, Christie knew she had to do something to keep youth connected. Like so many people have during this unprecedented time, she took to the Zoom video conferencing platform, conducting weekly virtual meetings for the senior high students. While it’s certainly not the same as meeting in person, video conferencing has provided a way for the teens to be accountable to one another.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to let them know they are not alone,” Christie says. “It’s like a support group. With COVID, the sense of community is being busted up. It can get them distracted. Then, they can make bad choices. It’s so important to keep them connected.”

In pre-COVID-19 times, a junior high — sixth to eighth grade — group had been meeting every other Wednesday evening, with up to 75 youth attending.

In the face of so many upsets, Christie can still list many blessings that have come to her during the past months. One such blessing is having the time and interest for a young adult group, for those in college to age 30. This group has been meeting on Thursday nights via Zoom. In the future, she hopes this group can meet in person about once per quarter. For now, the Zoom meetings are working very well.

“All of them have gone through the Youth Minis-try program, and they still want the connection,” Christie says. “It was just the right time.”

The Zoom sessions are spent checking in to see how everyone is doing during this difficult time. The participants also talk about the Sunday readings.

Right now, Christie is looking forward to the annual Christmas Caravan, even though it will look a bit different due to COVID-19 precautions. The youth group members, their families and many parishioners pitch in to make this day a success. In past years, more than 1,000 toys and hundreds of coats has been given to homeless in the area.

“The kids are so generous and they work so hard,” Christie says. “This is our 15th year for the Caravan. So many kids have given shoes off their feet and the coats off their backs. They look forward to that every year.”

Each year for Thanksgiving, the youth groups gather, box and deliver ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal for those in need. Members also participate in diocesan events, a summer work camp and the Steubenville conference.

“The senior high students are a real faithful group,” Christie says.

If you would like more information on the current Youth Ministry events, please contact Christie Powell at 501-835-4323, ext. 10.

The young adult group meets via the Zoom video conferencing platform.